The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-05-12
A Fine Tribute to Maine.

| The Pine Tree State Club of Massachusetts,
held its annual dinner at the Revere House.
Boston. on Saturday last. at which there We're
eloquent responses to toasts offered. The Club
is composed of residents of the Bay State who
| are natives of Maine, and also includes in its
membership quite 4 rlmbcr nf .cntlcmcn who
are still residents of Maine. Mr.. joseph II.
Manlty of Augusta, is Il member, but was un-
able to attend the recent festival. He sent.
however, the following letter. paying a tribute
to the state of Maine, which we find published
in the Boston papers reporting the dinner:
1t is often said that Maine is good State to
20 from. Seventy thousand citizens of Ma>>a-
chu>ett>, native born of the old Pine Tree
state, furnish evidence We're it needed. of
the truth Of the statement. But while this
may he true, We can assert without fear of con-
tratliction, that Maine is Il grand State in which
to remain. Few are aware Of her growth, of
the opportunity she offers to the immigrant,
lid OF the lndlcement she holds out to her
own born to remain within her borders. The
great growth of the West often makes us feel
that we are not making any progress. But the
tide has turned and the population of Maine is
now Increasing. We have for years been fur
nl>hlng young men aud women to people the
Western states; to-day they are rc.nanin. at
home. ! knew that il has been the custom
during politira! campaigns for some speakers
to picture to their audiences the poverty >rck-
en- condition of our State; to paint in glowing
coor> high taxation, the great burden of in
dchtrine>> and all the ills and woes that come
from depressed condition. But this is only
the rambling talk of wild and unrestraincd
imagination. The picture is not II true one.
lhe entire Indebtedness of Maine to-day. i'll
Guiding State, county and municipal indebted
ness. is a little less thar thirteen millions of
dollars; while it has in its savings banks thirty
six millions, and it has invested in national
banks eleven millions of dollars.
Maine has ceased to he exclusively an agri-
cultural State. although it has invested in farms
and livestock more than one hundred and
twenty millions of dollars. Its orchard pro-
duets, the number Of pounds of wool, the
value of its lumber products, the number of
tons of hay raised the number of bushels of
potatoes raised. the annual value of its live
stock. exceed that of any other of the other
New England States. And one thin" >houId
be emphasized, which is Il great tribute to the
State. that Of the entire SiNty-lNe thousand
farms of Maine. over >iNty-tWo thousand of
them are cultivated by their owners.
In manufacturing, Maine has made rapid
strides i'll the past twenty wears. and it has
to-day over fifty millions OF dollars emIlovcd
IN lis manufacturing Interests, giving employ
mcnt to thirty->iN thousand persons, and pay
Inc out annually y in wages over fourteen millions
of dollars. producing: products To the value of
more than eighty millions; and this in ,ljycr>i-
fed interests. our manufacturing il not con-
fined to any one line. 1t is cotton. lumber
WOODEN goods, tanned leather, paper. foundry
and machine SHOES pltdtcts boot an,l shoes,
Touring and @ri>t mill products. lime. canned
goods, Shill-hnii'iin@, printing and publishing.
agricultural implements. dycIn" and iini>hin"
textiles and mixed textiles. The woolcn i'll
dnstry ranks next to the manufacturing of
lumber. There are to-day. situated within the
hordcrS of our state SiNtN-vc Woolrn mills.
producing rs good cloth as can he made any
where on this continent: and our cotton pro-
ducts are SOLD in every market of the world.
Slate fuarri">. that will he of immense value,
are being worked. Our limestone is already
known and used in every State of the Union.
The iron produced at the katahlin Iron works
Y of The best quality. The Ice and granite
business gives cmploN !arnt to thousands. and
there j. hardly Il large city in the nion hut
what has some structure which is a memorial
to the GOOD quality OF her granite; and all cities
during the summer months are consuming the
Ice from olir nurlIrrn rivers.
Name Is also pushing ahra.l III lis railroad
improvements. Already great transroni-
mental line is Icing built across il entire width
giving direct and short route to the great
West and Pacific coast and capitalists are now
survey ing Il road from >Howhc.an up the val
ley "t the kcnnrEcc. to strike the waters Of
Moo>rhcal Lake at it, outlet. So that YOU cen
ticmcn who are proud of the state Of your lia-
tiNltN can breakfast at Your own homes in Bo>-
ton aud dine 10y the waters of that grand lake
Aroo>t"ok, that growing county of the North, |
\ clanorlng for Il direct lime. th~ building of
which is inevitable. bur simmer resorts have
become Worid-Mi i''c in their attractions. Bar
liarhor i lo-ial the peer of Newport, and it is |
destined tn herun" the great watcru"-plarr of
this continent. Iii oUr midst the >pcriilatur is |
finding ample opportunity for investment. cith-
rr IN stock or ltnd~, and every village now !
boasts of its millionaire.
" it'll our three Thousand miles Of coast. with |
Il i " .,ll Al